New ID card for Virginia veterans is here

A program for Virginia veterans launched Wednesday may open the door to more discounts at retail outlets in Hampton Roads.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced that Virginia veterans can now receive a wallet-sized identification card through the Department of Motor Vehicles. The cards are meant to be a quick and easy way to prove a veteran's status at businesses that offer price breaks to those who have served.

A recent survey conducted by the Hampton Roads Retail Alliance found that 70 percent of its approximately 1,000 members would be open to the idea of offering veterans' discounts on a regular basis if an ID card were available, said Margaret Ballard, vice president of advocacy.

Some businesses offer the discounts now, and a larger number offer the price break on Veterans Day.

"We think it's a tremendous idea," she said, crediting the governor, veterans advocates and the DMV in developing the idea..

More than 822,000 veterans live in Virginia, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A check of its database found that roughly 197,000 live in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake alone.

Retired service members and veterans with a service-connected disability rating are issued ID cards now, but that's only a small percentage of the veteran population, the governor said. The rest have no way to show their veteran status other than presenting their discharge documents.

Paul Galanti, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, called the program "a winning situation for both veterans and retailers."

Veterans may apply for the ID card in person at any DMV center, at a DMV 2 Go mobile office or online at http://www.dmvNOW.com. Applicants must have a current Virginia driver's license or DMV-issued ID card, the card application, and documents that prove military service, such as a DD-214, which is a certificate of release or discharge from active duty.

Applicants must pay a one-time $10 fee. The card does not expire. Members of the Virginia National Guard qualify if they were activated for federal duty.